15 Ways to Edgify Your Look

There’s a lot of talk about edgy clothing, but what is it really? Does “edgy” describe a particular style or maybe a certain attitude? I think it’s the latter, therefore, any look can be edgified (I think I made that word up).

Wearing statement jewelry is edgy. Ripping your skinny jeans is edgy. Walking on platform shoes is edgy. But edgifying your look can be way easier than that: it can be just wearing dark nail polish, wearing stackable rings or having a bold hairstyle. It’s easy, and it can be done.

Honestly, edgy comes natural to me. If I have a problem, is how NOT to look edgy when I don’t have to: I definitely feel like I can help you on this subject.

Edgy Clothing or Edgy Attitude?

1. My first tip here is to never leave your edgy attitude at home. If you are reading this article, chances are you’re already on the right path. I always say that style is the expression of what you carry inside, whether you care about what you wear or not (because that already says a lot about you, am I right?). So fashion alone can’t make your style. Attitude AND fashion can make your style. Keep this in mind and you’ll never look boring.

2. Start small: if your wardrobe is quite boring, you won’t be able to completely overhaul it all at once. Let’s start by matching clothes in a less boring way. Example: use contrast when you plan your outfits. Pair skinny jeans with high volume sweaters, leggings with extra-long tank tops or vests. Dare: mix bold prints, layer more than one top. Try a match you never tried before at least twice a week: by experimenting with your own wardrobe you’ll be able to give your look a revamp without spending any money. You’ll probably notice that your wardrobe has much more breath than you thought it had.

3. Wear dark colours. I know, I know. Edgy doesn’t necessarily mean dark and goth, but wearing dark colours always helps when trying to make a bold impression. Trust me, I know very well. Even if you’re wearing black leggings with a plain black top, you’ll still look edgier that the fancy floral girl next to you.
4. Use clothes in a way they weren’t intended to be used. Wear a men button shirt as a dress, wear a dress over a maxi skirt, wear a coat as part of your outfit (example: only wear a crop top underneath a coat and don’t take it off).

5. Wear clothes that were intended for the opposite sex. This is true for men and women as well. Wearing men suits, bow ties and oxford shoes is quite legitimized nowadays, so you could argue it’s not very edgy (but it still is my friend trust me). If you’re a guy, well, I dare you to challenge gender “rules”!

From Normal Clothing to Edgy Clothing

6. Buy studs in bulk and sprinkle them everywhere. If your kind of edgy is the punk rock look, studs are the way to go. I love studs: they come in all sizes and shapes so it’s easy to find the ones you like and go best with your clothes. Do you remember when a couple of years ago those studded collars were all the rage? That was an example of edgified look that worked fantastic. Get creative and see where you can stick those studs today!

7. Arm yourself with a cheese grater and start distressing your basic denim pants, cause we don’t want to be basic right? You can also mix and match techniques and come up with unique and edgy designs. Diy is fun!

8. Lace it up, trim it up! If studs and distressed clothing are not your thang, you can always edgify pieces of clothing by adding interesting details. It could be as easy as adding lace to the hem of a dress or by replacing the sides of a t-shirt with macrame. Of course you can play with materials: you can use romantic white lace and macrame or you could use black lace and fake leather.

9. Dye it crazy and paint it up. If there’s something I find highly entertaining, it’s dyeing fabric. I know, it might sound weird but if you have never tried, you should! Experiment with different fabric dyes: create colourful patterns or a degrading shade of the same colour. Use bleach to spice up a pair of boring black leggings. The possibilities are endless with this one.

10. Get your scissors out and cut cut cut. Giving an edgy feel to anything can be as easy as cutting a few pieces out and creating geometrical patterns and volumes. You can do this with denim pants, jersey items like t-shirts and leggings, and dresses. You just need to be careful about fabric fraying: get yourself an anti-fraying spray/glue to stop your clothes from tearing up!

It’s a pinnable! Mouse over the image below and click on the red button to pin it.

Edgy Accessories to Compliment Your Look

11. The shoes you’re wearing will make or break your look. This is a given and it’s known among all true fashionistas (not that we give a damn about being or being called fashionistas, but hey). Get a pair of evergreen, go-with-anything biker boots. Biker boots are an absolute must, whether you’re going for the punk rock look, the gypsy style or minimal. Biker boots just go with every look, and give every kind of look the edgy feel. Please do try it at home.

12. Sunglasses. Ok, this is a no-brainer. Although sunglasses have been around for centuries now, they still give who wears them a mystery feel. If you’re going out between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, sunglasses will be a key element in your look. Of course, the blacker the better (can you say blacker in English?).

13. Ok, I’m coming out of the closet. I love flowers and I still love flower crowns. I think they’re a wonderful addition to any style. A discrete flower crown, which can also be some kind of flower headband, would fit your look perfectly even if you’re channeling your inner Patti Smith. Hell, you could wear a black roses hair tie if you wanted to!

14. When you’re in need to edgify anything really quick, throwing a belt on (or two, or three) it’s the way to go. Mix and match thin and thick belts, black, white, grey and colourful belts together. Use two belts tied together as a harness.

15. Last but not least, piercings. I know some of you may object that piercings are not to be used as simple accessories, just like tattoos. The truth is that they do though, and there’s no hiding from this (think about the fake septum rings that are all the rage right now). When I had a snakebite and a tongue piercing there wasn’t much need of accessorizing any outfit, because piercings already gave anything I’d wear the edgy look. I now only wear piercings in my ears, but I think they’re enough: when I pull my hair up, they definitely make the look. And I like the fact that I always wear the same ones, a bit like a statement about my look that never changes.

And you, how do you edgify your look? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Hey, it's Elisa, founder of styleonvega.com. I'm a social media strategist & consultant by day and blogger by night (honing my multitasking skills since 2006 ;). I'm an atypical Italian, freedom lifestyle advocate and modern spirituality enthusiast. Feel like we could get along? Join me just above this box or get in touch with me on Facebook or Twitter.

Leave a Comment:

I am 100% an edgy girl. Not only for style but for confidence too. The wonders that red lipstick, a dark cat eye and combat boots can do for your confidence is absolutely fantastic! I was thinking about doing a YouTube mini series on this exact topic and how I get crafty with my clothing to make it look a little more edgy.

I 100% agree with you Sarah! Fashion&style are not about the way you look but about the way that look makes you feel. That’s important, you must feel comfortable and empowered in your own clothes, or where’s the point?

My way to edgify the look is:
– wearing flower crown, I like it and it’s connected with slavic paganism and culture
– more colourful t-shirts
– bovver boots
– some original jewellery
So, people calls me hippie. That’s good.

Hahaha Sławomira hippie is good. Why not? Let people label everything they see, it’s just a way to put everything in boxes so they have the illusion they can control it. Or shall I say WE have the illusion we can control stuff when we put labels on them? Of course I do it as well, but I try to catch myself when doing it and correct my path to a more open and loving one. <3
PS: I love flower crowns but I still haven't got to terms with a few issues:
1. I wouldn't know how to match it with my current style
2. I would never use real flowers because I don't like picking them, I like them where they belong, i.e. to the plant
3. I have issues with plastic fake flowers as I think they're not much of an ethical choice.

So yeah, I'm looking for more eco friendly alternatives to build flower crowns, when I find them I'll certainly write a post about it!